Okay, so what I was supposed to post on last time was Katrina's topic which was:

Write about your next writing project. What is the genre? Is is one you've written before or is it a new venture? Do you have it all figured out or is it just a germ of an idea? What did you learn from your latest writing project that will make this one even better?

My current project is book 2 in the Blood Blade Sisters trilogy, and my next project will be book 3. They are historical romance and book 2 is well under way. Book 3....not so much lol I have a very bare bones outline done that needs to be fleshed out before I can get started on the book..

Next up after that, I have several ideas in mind that I will be batting around with my editor. Two of them are contemporary romances, one is a trilogy that is probably best defined as urban fantasy although the first book is set in ancient Egypt, one is a super secret series that I've only told my husband about because I am sooo in love with this idea that I'm afraid to utter it out loud :D Annnd I have a NF on how to write poetry that I hope to have out by Sept (that will be my project for the summer - it's about half finished).

The one thing I've learned through all my years at doing this is that I have to be ORGANIZED to the point of obnoxiousness or it all falls apart. I used to be a pantser writer....but I just can't do that anymore. Writing that way often required months, if not years, of revisions, total rewrites, and insane edits. Having a very detailed outline before I start has whittled down the whole process considerably. I can now finish a first draft in a matter of weeks, and that first draft isn't nearly the train wreck that it once would have been. :)

And don't forget the Extra Entries Clue = There will be an opportunity for extra entries if you can figure out the riddle of the villainous Lord Rellik's name. The clue will be listed on the entry form, but I'll list it here as well to give you a little more thinking time.

There is something sinister about Rellik’s name; figure it out, get extra points for the game. Here is a hint, if you are in doubt; try reading it backwards, it might help you out. Rellik = ?

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Today's day 4 of the treasure hunt! Today I'm over at Romance Book Junkies with a new clue. Find the right spot on the map and enter to win a stunning Minuette Locket, inspired by the one in To Trust a Thief!

And don't forget the Extra Entries Clue = There will be an opportunity for extra entries if you can figure out the riddle of the villainous Lord Rellik's name. The clue will be listed on the entry form, but I'll list it here as well to give you a little more thinking time.

There is something sinister about Rellik’s name; figure it out, get extra points for the game. Here is a hint, if you are in doubt; try reading it backwards, it might help you out. Rellik = ?

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Today I'm over at Cocktails and Books with another clue. Find the right spot on the map, and enter to win a really cool Shakespeare Insults clock!!

If you missed the stops for days 1 and 2, be sure to stop at Thompson's Bookstore to enter Wednesday's giveaway for a beautiful Victorian bookmark, and Lord Rellik's Residence to enter yesterday's giveaway for a $25 gift card.

And don't forget the Extra Entries Clue = There will be an opportunity for extra entries if you can figure out the riddle of the villainous Lord Rellik's name. The clue will be listed on the entry form, but I'll list it here as well to give you a little more thinking time.

There is something sinister about Rellik’s name; figure it out, get extra points for the game. Here is a hint, if you are in doubt; try reading it backwards, it might help you out. Rellik = ?

And don't forget the Extra Entries Clue = There will be an opportunity for extra entries if you can figure out the riddle of the villainous Lord Rellik's name. The clue will be listed on the entry form, but I'll list it here as well to give you a little more thinking time.

There is something sinister about Rellik’s name; figure it out, get extra points for the game. Here is a hint, if you are in doubt; try reading it backwards, it might help you out.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Well, this is something that must absolutely be celebrated :) And since To Trust a Thief centers around the search for a priceless necklace, I figured what could be more fun than having a treasure hunt of our own to celebrate!

Here’s the rundown – from Jan 21st to Feb 1st, you can join me in a treasure hunt for five fabulous prizes. I’ll be making the rounds on four wonderful blogs and will leave a clue at each one. The clue will give you a hint both as to what the prize is, and where you need to go on our To Trust a Thief treasure map to enter the giveaway for that day. You’ll also get a few snippets of the book and a chance for extra entries if you solve a special riddle.

And our journey begins right here :) Follow these instructions and see if you can find the treasure!

Step 1 – Here is your clue for Day 1: In front of the bookstore, they felt the first spark. To keep their place, they’ll need a mark.

Step 3 – Once there, click on the location on the map that matches the clue.

Step 4 – Fill in the form to enter to win the prize and read a little snippet of the book just for fun!

Step 5 – Be sure to visit the other blogs on our Treasure Hunt Tour for more chances to win other awesome prizes, especially the huge grand prize on day 5!! Each giveaway will run for a week, so you can go back and enter any that you missed.

Extra Entries Clue = There will be an opportunity for extra entries if you can figure out the riddle of the villainous Lord Rellik's name. The clue will be listed on the entry form, but I'll list it here as well to give you a little more thinking time.

There is something sinister about Rellik’s name; figure it out, get extra points for the game. Here is a hint, if you are in doubt; try reading it backwards, it might help you out. (Today's treasure = a beautiful silver Victorian bookmark! Find the right location on the map to see a picture and enter to win!)

Friday, January 18, 2013

Monday, January 14, 2013

Blog Chain time again :D This time Amparo wants to know:

It's a new year, and some writers have taken it upon themselves to switch things up. *points at self* It might be the genres you write in or your revision process. It might be your main character's voice. What's one thing you've chosen to change in your writing this new year? Why do you wish to change it? If there's nothing you're going to change, why do you think it should remain as is?

I actually started changing the way I write as of a couple months ago. Mostly because once my trilogy was signed by Entangled, I had a bunch of shiny new deadlines to hit...and they were pretty close together LOL

So, I found myself needing to bump up my word count and being a lot more disciplined with my time. I also don't have the time to send my manuscript out to a dozen crit partners anymore so I've had to rely a bit more on one or two very fast critters and my gut and own editing skills, which, I'm not going to lie, causes some stress lol

It's definitely a different amped up way of doing things, but so far I think it's going okay :) It definitely forces me to work instead of dilly-dallying around with it.

It's also made it necessary to really outline before I start writing. I always did this in some form anyway, but it's vital now that I have a solid, detailed outline and synopsis before I start writing. This has really cut down on the problems I used to have. My first drafts still need a lot of work, don't get me wrong, but it has cut down on writer block problems and issues of writing myself into a corner or veering too far off on tangents.

Basically, my new writing method is much more organized and scheduled than it used to be. And it's working well so far :)

Do you have any new writing goals or methods for the new year?
Be sure to swing by Lisa's blog and Alyson's tomorrow :)

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